This Burmese/Chinese hole-in-the-wall inspires such cultish devotion that regulars—including both value-conscious college students and ethnic-food connoisseurs—have been known to wait two hours for a table.

Only in San Francisco would you find a Moroccan restaurant that touts the sustainable pedigree of its ingredients: the lamb and beef (grass-fed, of course), the poultry, and most of the vegetables come from small farms in the immediate area (like Green Gulch Farm, run by the Zen Center in Marin C

Also known as Kevin's Noodle House, this family-owned restaurant serves an extensive menu of authentic, affordable Vietnamese fare. At this Outer Sunset branch—one of five regional locations—the no-frills space is simply decorated with small tables, tiled floors, and sparse white walls.

Die-hard dim sum fans consistently rank Ton Kiang among the top restaurants in the Bay Area. A little off the beaten path in the Richmond area (between the Presidio and Golden Gate Park),Ton Kiang offers both street-level dining and a second floor with a large bay window.

This wildly popular dining venue at the new California Academy of Sciences, in Golden Gate Park (sister restaurant to the neighboring Academy Café), is a shrine to sustainable agriculture, courtesy of local food heroes and good-pal chefs Charles Phan (Slanted Door) and Loretta Keller (Coco500).